Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg (German: Verdienstorden des Landes Baden-Württemberg) is the highest award of the German State of Baden-Württemberg. Established 26 November 1974, it was originally called the Medal of Merit of Baden-Württemberg (Die Verdienstmedaille des Landes Baden-Württemberg). Effective 26 June 2009, the medal assumed its current name.The order is awarded by the Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg for outstanding contributions to the state of Baden-Württemberg, in politics, society, culture and economics. The order is limited to 1,000 living holders, and has been awarded 1,923 times, as of 30 April 2018. Source: Wikipedia (en)